{"id":115163,"date":"2020-07-15T11:00:30","date_gmt":"2020-07-15T15:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dcmusicreview.com\/staging\/?p=115163"},"modified":"2020-07-28T12:19:55","modified_gmt":"2020-07-28T16:19:55","slug":"album-review-my-morning-jacket-the-waterfall-ii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dcmusicreview.com\/staging\/album-review-my-morning-jacket-the-waterfall-ii\/","title":{"rendered":"Album Review: My Morning Jacket \u2013 The Waterfall II"},"content":{"rendered":"

It has been five years since My Morning Jacket<\/strong>\u2019s 2015 release The Waterfall<\/em> and now, among myriad things we\u2019d rather not have, the band is offering up a beacon of light in this dark year with their follow up release, aptly titled The Waterfall II<\/em>.<\/p>\n

But it might be best to not consider The Waterfall II<\/em> as a proper follow up so much as a companion release to its 2015 counterpart. All of the songs were written and recorded in the same sessions, and Jim James himself has said<\/a> that an entire new album of fresh, recently recorded material is being prepared for release in 2021. So, what we see here is not so much the growth of an artist one might expect from a band like My Morning Jacket, who have previously managed to evolve their sound while staying true to what makes them great, but a continuation of where they were as artists five years ago.<\/p>\n

And where they seem to have been comes as no surprise \u2013a dark jam space in Louisville with a stack of psychedelic, country, and blues albums to put on when not jamming. The album\u2019s pensive opener \u201cSpinning My Wheels\u201d begins with Jim James<\/strong>\u2019 signature ghostly vocal style that stays throughout the album. The pace increases slightly with the second track, \u201cStill Thinkin,\u201d but overall, it is a slow start.<\/p>\n

And then we get to the third track, \u201cClimbing the Ladder,\u201d a bouncy number with an unmistakably country & western-style slide guitar played over a dance beat and upstroked guitar that is as close to a ska song as the band has ever gotten (and hopefully it remains the closest).<\/p>\n

The synth grove of \u201cMagic Bullet\u201d is a standout among these tracks, as well as \u201cWasted,\u201d which starts out sounding almost like a generic blues-rock track (disappointing for a band that has such a strong identity of their own), but by the halfway point the band takes the listener on an extended jam of highs and lows and horns that is the high point of the album and will almost certainly translate into an incredible live performance. The vocal harmonies of the album closer \u201cThe First Time\u201d are a shining moment as well.<\/p>\n

Also, it is worth mentioning that while Jim James<\/strong> has always been the star of the show, there is something special about the bass work of Tom Blankenship<\/strong> that the band would just not be the same without. His presence is felt all over this album.<\/p>\n

Overall, this may not prove to be the album by which our summer is sound tracked and memorialized in the traditional since \u2013 thanks COVID-19 \u2013 but that doesn\u2019t stop it from being one of the most notable releases of the summer, or even 2020 so far. Instead, think of it is essential listening for those days and\/or nights spent on a porch with the smell of summer and bug spray and barbeque in the air, sipping cold beers, and (from a reasonable social distance), discussing with friends just what the hell is next \u2013 not just for the world, but from My Morning Jacket<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The Waterfall II <\/em>was released on July 14, 2020.<\/p>\n

\"My<\/p>\n

My Morning Jacket<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Waterfall II<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Released:<\/strong> July 14, 2020<\/p>\n

Track Listing:<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

1. Spinning My Wheels<\/p>\n

2. Still Thinkin’<\/p>\n

3. Climbing the Ladder<\/p>\n

4. Feel You<\/p>\n

5. Beautiful Love (Wasn’t Enough)<\/p>\n

6. Magic Bullet<\/p>\n

7. Run It<\/p>\n

8. Wasted<\/p>\n

9. Welcome Home<\/p>\n

10. The First Time<\/p>\n

Spotify<\/strong><\/p>\n

Spotify<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

Spotify<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

<;<<\/p>\n

Videos<\/strong><\/p>\n

Videos<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

Videos<\/strong><\/p>\n

Videos<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

Videos<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

The following videos are provides courtesy of My Morning Jacket’s YouTube Channel<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Additional Resources<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Additional Resources<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Additional<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Resources<\/strong><\/h3>\n

To learn more about My Morning Jacket<\/strong>, please see the following web resources:<\/p>\n